I was thinking about how busy we all are during the holidays. It is only December 1st and I've already been invited to 3 holiday events and that got me thinking about all of you out there who work full time and try to go to the gym. With all of the holiday parties, how do you have time to work and work-out. It sounds exhausting.
However, I would love to remind you that working out can do just the exact opposite for you; it can energize you. In a time where there are so many sugary snacks around that keep our blood sugar shooting up and crashing, we need all the extra help we can get. So, need I remind you? Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and skip your exercise or your sleep. Both of these things are too important for keeping you healthy.
I just read a study that said people who sleep less than 7 hours a night are more susceptible to the flu. There will be a lot of flu and other germs floating amongst us all at these holiday gatherings, so please get plenty of rest and get in your exercise. OH and did I mention drink plenty of water to help fill you and keep you hydrated, and please if you are drinking give your keys up to a friend or simply call a cab.
So, lets stay safe and healthy through the holidays!
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Holiday Foods and their calories are upon us!!!
It is that time of year when there seems to be food, especially sweets, around every corner. I have discovered that even people who do not celebrate Holidays still suffer from the extra calories that seem to be everywhere.
At coffee shops there are tempting peppermint drinks that often have whip cream or some other sugary substance, and of course all the tempting cookies, cakes & bars that they show in the case. Fast food places (which you should not be at) offer specialty shakes that seem to call out at the Holidays. Friends bring sweet treats to share to the workplace and so many workplace holiday events or happy hours. There are many parties with alcohol, cakes, pies, cookies, layered dishes, etc.....where are the vegetables? Oh, I see a few being dipped in ranch or smothered with cheese.
This is the reality of food at this time of the year and the other reality that often goes along with it is that people indulge. We consume more than we would. The weather isn't as nice to get out and get a little exercise and all the weight we have kept away all year long from our slowing metabolisms seems to jump aboard in a few short months. We can't let this happen this year, or any year actually.
There are some simple solutions for handling this problem. Now is the time to kick up the caloric exertion. If you already exercise, then maybe it is a good time to get a trainer for a couple of months to show you something new, or push you a little harder. It is better to do it now rather than wait until January after you've already added weight. It is easier to keep the weight off than to try to lose it after gaining. If you don't exercise, then get out for a daily walk, or take a class at a gym or community center.
If you are going to make some bad food choices and indulge at a party, then make sure you eat healthy for as much of the weeks prior and after that you can. The day of the even stick to healthy veggies and lean protein so that you get your daily needed intake. Drink water when you first arrive to a restaurant or party so that you won't over indulge. The water will help fill you. Also, at a restaurant order a healthy soup or salad first to help fill you before heavy entree's or desserts.
The biggest concern I have for everyone is to please not drink too much, especially if you are driving. Alcohol calories quickly add up and alcohol quickly impairs our abilities. Drink water between each alcoholic beverage. If you ned to look like you have a drink, or a simple soda or shirley temple so you can look like you are drinking, or even non-alcoholic beer.
Enjoy the Holidays and the food responsibly with plenty of exercise and rest and you can stay away from those dreaded pounds that you will be crying over in the spring. Of course, if you find yourself with those pounds call me and I can set up a training program for you privately or with a group.
Stay Healthy
Ciao,
Laura FortinoBella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Saturday, October 10, 2009
There is something I have noticed happening a lot this past year. People taking the first step towards change and then after a few steps forward, they stop.
For years people, articles, the news, and talk shows have written about and talked about the need for people to take the first step. It is often said that if people can just get up and take that first step they will be on their way to success. However, the first step, even though very important, is not the step that gets us over the finish line, the last step is and there are so many steps in-between.
I seem to be witnessing a different phenomenon in the last few years. So many people taking first steps to get started on their way to success. However, after a short period of time their investment wanes. They do not have the continuing energy, desire or determination to finish what has been started. I believe this is due to the length of time that it takes to see results.
People can often gather the needed excitement and energy to get to a trainer, life coach, dietitian, tutor, therapist, counselor etc, but the focus and dedication needed to sustain is often not there. I believe when people make a lot of these starts and stops, it can be quite damaging on their ability to even get started in the future. These short term dedications without success start to build a level of dissatisfaction or even jadedness towards any of these activities or people that can help.
Sustaining a new regime or new way of doing things can be so difficult. When faced with whether or not to go or whether or not to change actions, it is much more comfortable to do things the old way, even if it doesn't produce the results that we want. That is why so many people wait until there are dire circumstances or they are in a lot of emotional pain before they actually make changes. Why do you think addicts don't change until they've hit their bottom?
This doesn't have to be the case. If someone is armed with knowing that after a short period of time it will be hard to sustain, they can have the professional they are working with set up situations to help them continue. They can pay ahead for sessions for example and schedule a month or two during there first few sessions while they are still in the honey moon phase. For some things, like personal training, they can find a buddy to do it with, or even have the trainer find a slightly more advanced or dedicated partner to pair the person with so they have even another person to be accountable to.
Most of all, being emotionally and mentally prepared at the beginning to know that these slumps will occur and that triumph can be achieved and excitement and/or contentment will come back, especially as results start to show.
Believe in yourself, and after you make it through the first step, keep moving forward and you will be able to attain positive results.
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
For years people, articles, the news, and talk shows have written about and talked about the need for people to take the first step. It is often said that if people can just get up and take that first step they will be on their way to success. However, the first step, even though very important, is not the step that gets us over the finish line, the last step is and there are so many steps in-between.
I seem to be witnessing a different phenomenon in the last few years. So many people taking first steps to get started on their way to success. However, after a short period of time their investment wanes. They do not have the continuing energy, desire or determination to finish what has been started. I believe this is due to the length of time that it takes to see results.
People can often gather the needed excitement and energy to get to a trainer, life coach, dietitian, tutor, therapist, counselor etc, but the focus and dedication needed to sustain is often not there. I believe when people make a lot of these starts and stops, it can be quite damaging on their ability to even get started in the future. These short term dedications without success start to build a level of dissatisfaction or even jadedness towards any of these activities or people that can help.
Sustaining a new regime or new way of doing things can be so difficult. When faced with whether or not to go or whether or not to change actions, it is much more comfortable to do things the old way, even if it doesn't produce the results that we want. That is why so many people wait until there are dire circumstances or they are in a lot of emotional pain before they actually make changes. Why do you think addicts don't change until they've hit their bottom?
This doesn't have to be the case. If someone is armed with knowing that after a short period of time it will be hard to sustain, they can have the professional they are working with set up situations to help them continue. They can pay ahead for sessions for example and schedule a month or two during there first few sessions while they are still in the honey moon phase. For some things, like personal training, they can find a buddy to do it with, or even have the trainer find a slightly more advanced or dedicated partner to pair the person with so they have even another person to be accountable to.
Most of all, being emotionally and mentally prepared at the beginning to know that these slumps will occur and that triumph can be achieved and excitement and/or contentment will come back, especially as results start to show.
Believe in yourself, and after you make it through the first step, keep moving forward and you will be able to attain positive results.
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Exercise and sleep
As always, the news is always coming up with some statics about something. One such statistic I heard lately was that some people studied said that exercise actually made them not sleep as much. Well that would be true if someone is sleeping too much. Exercise, then would be providing needed energy to a persons life, there by causing them to sleep less hours. However, I have only found very positive accounts about exercise and sleep for the average person.
Usually, a self-starter, easily motivated and energetic person is going to exercise on their own volition. These people who already have a lot of energy will find that exercise will help to burn off some of that energy, it will increase seratonin and melatonin which all will allow the individual to experience better sleep.
People who are not motivated to exercise may already have a much lower energy level which causes them to have a more sedentary life which will often lead to much more sleeping time, but not necessarily good sleep. With the onset of exercise, these people can experience a lessened need for the amount of sleep, but should still acheive better sleep during their 7 to 8 hours that is recommended for a healthy lifestyle.
The bottom line is exercise affects sleep in a positve way and is one of the many reasons people should exercise.
Have a fabulous day all, and if you need to lose weight, try to take out 100 calories from your diet everyday over the next month and see what happens :-)
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Usually, a self-starter, easily motivated and energetic person is going to exercise on their own volition. These people who already have a lot of energy will find that exercise will help to burn off some of that energy, it will increase seratonin and melatonin which all will allow the individual to experience better sleep.
People who are not motivated to exercise may already have a much lower energy level which causes them to have a more sedentary life which will often lead to much more sleeping time, but not necessarily good sleep. With the onset of exercise, these people can experience a lessened need for the amount of sleep, but should still acheive better sleep during their 7 to 8 hours that is recommended for a healthy lifestyle.
The bottom line is exercise affects sleep in a positve way and is one of the many reasons people should exercise.
Have a fabulous day all, and if you need to lose weight, try to take out 100 calories from your diet everyday over the next month and see what happens :-)
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
THE MYTH OF EXERCISE!!!
Well Hello Everybody. So sorry to be gone so long, but I got married on July 31st and I just had way to much to do! I'm back now and I am a little upset at the media trying to "stir things up" about exercise.
Has everyone read the Time Magazine article about exercise? If you haven't, you may have heard on TV all the crazy reports about exercise not causing people to lose weight. Now, I agree that the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. That is the bottom line and the big secret. However, how are we going to burn those calories, not by sitting at our computers. We need to get up and move around and exercising is a great way to burn more calories.
The real key here is to understand that your body burns calories all the time, even while sleeping. Calories are the energy we use to do everything we do. Therefore, the more you do, the more effort you use, the harder you work and the longer you work, the more calories you burn. The problem for a lot of people and this formula is that when they work harder and longer, they are hungrier and they eat more. This does not mean exercise doesn't help you lose weight, it means people are still over eating. Consuming more calories than they burn off. It seems to me then, that the reason people don't lose weight is they eat more.
There are no ways around it. No products, no special weight loss pills, no supplements, no fad diets, nothing that is going to change the hard line facts that to lose weight we must put out more energy and eat less. Exercise, therefore, is a great way to burn a few extra calories. After you get adjusted to your new routine and your food in-take, the major hunger pangs will subside and you will be able to burn fat while exercising and not leave the gym and put the calories back in by taking a trip to a restaurant or store on the way home.
It would be great if there was a quick fix or an easy way to lose weight. There isn't, there is only one way and that is why a good personal trainer can take you through sessions which are geared to burning calories, but also increasing muscle mass. Why is that important? Simply because a muscular body burns more calories all the time than a fat body or even a thin body with no muscle mass. Muscles require much more energy to move and when you add muscle you change the toneness of your body, the shapliness of your body and the efficiency of your body and your heart.
Exercise is good for you in so many ways. Exercise is linked to prolonged life, less risk of heart disease and cancer, better sleep habits, and less depression. With a trainer like me, I can help you plan your diet so that you stay within your calories, eat food that will make you healthier & happier, food that will fill you and you will see weight loss, but you have to want to go through the hard part of making changes. In the end, if you dedicate enough time to your goal you will reach it and exercise will be a key part in your weight loss. You don't put on 10,20,30, 50, etc pounds in a couple of weeks or a month, so taking it off will also take longer than a month.
Dedicating the time and yourself to the process will make you feel better, be stronger and look better all at the same time. There is no myth. You need to burn more calories than you eat, adding exercise to your life can help you do that, as long as you don't add more calories in the process.
I wish you all luck. Contact me through my website www.bellabodyandmind.com and get started today. If you are not local, I do diet coaching and planning through skype and e-mail as well as Life Coaching.
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Has everyone read the Time Magazine article about exercise? If you haven't, you may have heard on TV all the crazy reports about exercise not causing people to lose weight. Now, I agree that the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. That is the bottom line and the big secret. However, how are we going to burn those calories, not by sitting at our computers. We need to get up and move around and exercising is a great way to burn more calories.
The real key here is to understand that your body burns calories all the time, even while sleeping. Calories are the energy we use to do everything we do. Therefore, the more you do, the more effort you use, the harder you work and the longer you work, the more calories you burn. The problem for a lot of people and this formula is that when they work harder and longer, they are hungrier and they eat more. This does not mean exercise doesn't help you lose weight, it means people are still over eating. Consuming more calories than they burn off. It seems to me then, that the reason people don't lose weight is they eat more.
There are no ways around it. No products, no special weight loss pills, no supplements, no fad diets, nothing that is going to change the hard line facts that to lose weight we must put out more energy and eat less. Exercise, therefore, is a great way to burn a few extra calories. After you get adjusted to your new routine and your food in-take, the major hunger pangs will subside and you will be able to burn fat while exercising and not leave the gym and put the calories back in by taking a trip to a restaurant or store on the way home.
It would be great if there was a quick fix or an easy way to lose weight. There isn't, there is only one way and that is why a good personal trainer can take you through sessions which are geared to burning calories, but also increasing muscle mass. Why is that important? Simply because a muscular body burns more calories all the time than a fat body or even a thin body with no muscle mass. Muscles require much more energy to move and when you add muscle you change the toneness of your body, the shapliness of your body and the efficiency of your body and your heart.
Exercise is good for you in so many ways. Exercise is linked to prolonged life, less risk of heart disease and cancer, better sleep habits, and less depression. With a trainer like me, I can help you plan your diet so that you stay within your calories, eat food that will make you healthier & happier, food that will fill you and you will see weight loss, but you have to want to go through the hard part of making changes. In the end, if you dedicate enough time to your goal you will reach it and exercise will be a key part in your weight loss. You don't put on 10,20,30, 50, etc pounds in a couple of weeks or a month, so taking it off will also take longer than a month.
Dedicating the time and yourself to the process will make you feel better, be stronger and look better all at the same time. There is no myth. You need to burn more calories than you eat, adding exercise to your life can help you do that, as long as you don't add more calories in the process.
I wish you all luck. Contact me through my website www.bellabodyandmind.com and get started today. If you are not local, I do diet coaching and planning through skype and e-mail as well as Life Coaching.
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
We are what we eat
Hello everyone!
I know I haven't blogged recently, I'm trying to get to the computer more regularly. However, I am a fitness & health professional, so I spend much of my time up on my feet and away from the computer! I am also getting married July 31st. Yeah! and I am super busy! Eventhough that is exciting, today I would love to talk about what we eat today and how it affects us.
So many people just eat whatever they can think of, get their hands on, or what they want, and often their is no real nutritional value to the food. What are foods with nutritional value? Vegetables, Fruits, Whole grains, and lean meats. In that order. You should intake more vegetables in any given day than any other food group. Vegetables are high in nutrients, vitamins and fiber as are fruits. Fruits, however, have a lot of natural sugars, therefore, it is recommended to eat more vegetables.
When we consume the proper amounts of vegetables and fruits (actual ones, not juices, pills, the next packaged fad to help us) we feel better, look better, think clearer and we have no need for vitamin supplements (except for vitamin D). Almost all vitamin studies done by doctors & schools, not vitamin companies have shown that taking a vitamin alone does not give a proper substitute for the vitamins we need and that they are not absorbed and used in the body the way the vitamins should be. I am not saying to not take a vitamin supplement, you should consult your doctor for that especially if you have a condition that creates or is caused by certain vitamin deficincies. I am, although, saying that you should be consuming your vitamins through food first and foremost. You may find that if you do, your doctor will say you don't need to take a supplement.
Food is our energy source for all of our energy. Movement, thought, even sleep. Without proper levels of what our bodies need, we won't have the energy we need. Like cars need gas and oil to make them operate, we need food. Food is our gas! Also, when a car has gas, but not proper levels of oil, it will still break down. So, you can give yourself any food to keep yourself running, however without the oil(nutrients, vitabmins, minerals) you will still break down in one way or another.
Food and exercise affect the level of effeciency we have each day. I know for myself that without the proper food, I can get cranky and tired. If I don't eat well and rest, I usually find myself catching a cold. Food and exercise affect our moods and our emotions. When your spouse or child are cranky give them some healthy food and you will usually find an attitude adjustment. For example, type A personalities become calmer when given a little bit of starchy carb (healthy ones are carrots,corn & potato's) and a little bit of dark chocolate. So when you want to have a discussion with that type A person, feed them first to get the best results. Don't give the calm person those starchy carbs before needed them to focus, they will just want to rest, feed them some lean proteins and green vegetables and they will have energy.
These are just a couple of examples. You can play these out further, imagine if you eat a donut for breakfast or give one to your child before school, don't you think your work or your childs school work will reflect it? Now imagine you don't eat at all, you've just spent 8 plus hours not filling up, there is no more gas in the tank, how with the car(you) manage to go. Just sputtering along barely making it to the next point. Sure, you have some stored fat that you can access, but fat isn't what you need to make your brain and body work, you are better off exercising off that stored fat while putting a healthy energy source into your body.
If you want your children to be bright and happy feed them well so their brains can develop and give them plenty of sleep. The body energizes and the brain develops for children while they sleep. Encourage naps, even just 20 minutes. Not just for your kids, but for yourself. The food and sleep change your brain chemistry. You become a healthier thinker and you make better choices for yourself and your loved ones. It is pertinent to pay attention to what you put into your body and how you take care of yourself!
So, now you say "okay, I understand this. I get it. But I don't like these foods and I don't know where to get them quickly." And, I say to you: Once you start eating better, you will find yourself craving the better, healthier choices. It might take a few months to get over the cravings for that greasy burger or chips or candy, but you can do it. I did.
In my teens and twenties I started eating all the bad fast foods and chips and sodas etc and gained a couple of pounds and started feeling terrible. Slowly I realized certain things made me feel bad and I started just cutting out a few things here and there. First to go soda, then fatty red meats like fast food and so on. Eventually I became someone who actually craves brocoli, and salads, fruits and good cheese. I do still enjoy a lean steak or some ice cream. I like a little bit of dark chocolate and once a month or so I drink an Italian soda. I don't at all feel deprived. As a matter of fact, I love to eat.
When you eat properly, you actually can consume more food with less calories. I don't say throw out everything bad all the time. We must live our lives in balance and there are some things that each of us loves to have as a treat. That is exactly what it should be though, a treat.
Now, go out, live your life in balance. Life to the fullest. Make the changes that are necessary and don't be afraid. Grab life by the horns and make the best of it. It is the only one you have!
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
I know I haven't blogged recently, I'm trying to get to the computer more regularly. However, I am a fitness & health professional, so I spend much of my time up on my feet and away from the computer! I am also getting married July 31st. Yeah! and I am super busy! Eventhough that is exciting, today I would love to talk about what we eat today and how it affects us.
So many people just eat whatever they can think of, get their hands on, or what they want, and often their is no real nutritional value to the food. What are foods with nutritional value? Vegetables, Fruits, Whole grains, and lean meats. In that order. You should intake more vegetables in any given day than any other food group. Vegetables are high in nutrients, vitamins and fiber as are fruits. Fruits, however, have a lot of natural sugars, therefore, it is recommended to eat more vegetables.
When we consume the proper amounts of vegetables and fruits (actual ones, not juices, pills, the next packaged fad to help us) we feel better, look better, think clearer and we have no need for vitamin supplements (except for vitamin D). Almost all vitamin studies done by doctors & schools, not vitamin companies have shown that taking a vitamin alone does not give a proper substitute for the vitamins we need and that they are not absorbed and used in the body the way the vitamins should be. I am not saying to not take a vitamin supplement, you should consult your doctor for that especially if you have a condition that creates or is caused by certain vitamin deficincies. I am, although, saying that you should be consuming your vitamins through food first and foremost. You may find that if you do, your doctor will say you don't need to take a supplement.
Food is our energy source for all of our energy. Movement, thought, even sleep. Without proper levels of what our bodies need, we won't have the energy we need. Like cars need gas and oil to make them operate, we need food. Food is our gas! Also, when a car has gas, but not proper levels of oil, it will still break down. So, you can give yourself any food to keep yourself running, however without the oil(nutrients, vitabmins, minerals) you will still break down in one way or another.
Food and exercise affect the level of effeciency we have each day. I know for myself that without the proper food, I can get cranky and tired. If I don't eat well and rest, I usually find myself catching a cold. Food and exercise affect our moods and our emotions. When your spouse or child are cranky give them some healthy food and you will usually find an attitude adjustment. For example, type A personalities become calmer when given a little bit of starchy carb (healthy ones are carrots,corn & potato's) and a little bit of dark chocolate. So when you want to have a discussion with that type A person, feed them first to get the best results. Don't give the calm person those starchy carbs before needed them to focus, they will just want to rest, feed them some lean proteins and green vegetables and they will have energy.
These are just a couple of examples. You can play these out further, imagine if you eat a donut for breakfast or give one to your child before school, don't you think your work or your childs school work will reflect it? Now imagine you don't eat at all, you've just spent 8 plus hours not filling up, there is no more gas in the tank, how with the car(you) manage to go. Just sputtering along barely making it to the next point. Sure, you have some stored fat that you can access, but fat isn't what you need to make your brain and body work, you are better off exercising off that stored fat while putting a healthy energy source into your body.
If you want your children to be bright and happy feed them well so their brains can develop and give them plenty of sleep. The body energizes and the brain develops for children while they sleep. Encourage naps, even just 20 minutes. Not just for your kids, but for yourself. The food and sleep change your brain chemistry. You become a healthier thinker and you make better choices for yourself and your loved ones. It is pertinent to pay attention to what you put into your body and how you take care of yourself!
So, now you say "okay, I understand this. I get it. But I don't like these foods and I don't know where to get them quickly." And, I say to you: Once you start eating better, you will find yourself craving the better, healthier choices. It might take a few months to get over the cravings for that greasy burger or chips or candy, but you can do it. I did.
In my teens and twenties I started eating all the bad fast foods and chips and sodas etc and gained a couple of pounds and started feeling terrible. Slowly I realized certain things made me feel bad and I started just cutting out a few things here and there. First to go soda, then fatty red meats like fast food and so on. Eventually I became someone who actually craves brocoli, and salads, fruits and good cheese. I do still enjoy a lean steak or some ice cream. I like a little bit of dark chocolate and once a month or so I drink an Italian soda. I don't at all feel deprived. As a matter of fact, I love to eat.
When you eat properly, you actually can consume more food with less calories. I don't say throw out everything bad all the time. We must live our lives in balance and there are some things that each of us loves to have as a treat. That is exactly what it should be though, a treat.
Now, go out, live your life in balance. Life to the fullest. Make the changes that are necessary and don't be afraid. Grab life by the horns and make the best of it. It is the only one you have!
Ciao,
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Health and Wellness, Empowerment Speech
Hello everyone!
I think one of the best things that have come about in the past few years is that people really seem to be getting more in tune with the need to find balance in life and to live healthy so we can "live long and prosper" Truly Spock never knew the power of his words!
It really is true that as people we can learn to find a wonderful balance and to understand balance so that when those in-evadable days come along where we slip out of balance, we have tools and a desire to find our way back. My perspective on balance and learning to balance has completely changed my life, and I believe will keep me healthier and happier longer. It saddens me to see older people in failing health and having no real understanding of spirituality or faith, only religion. I wish for all of us in the next few generations to surpass so many of these health issues by taking care of our bodies and minds now.
Join me in changing ourselves and thereby changing the world. Get tuned in to your health physically, mentally, and spiritually and make a real change.
My speech this weekend is for young women who need help and encouragement. I hope to help their generation learn these key life giving practices now!
Laura Fortino
Bella Body & Mind of Huntington Beach
http://www.bellabodyandmind.com
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